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Hearing Opens for Five Held in Abbey Takeover Preliminary hearing started Thursday for five persons charged in connection with the Menominee Warrior Society takeover of the Alexian Brothers Novitiate near Gresham. Only one person testified yesterday at the day-long hearing in Shawano County Court, Branch No. 2 before Judge Fredrick H. Fowle, County Judge of Florence and Forest County. The hearing resumed at 9 o'clock this morning but was delayed after the defense attorneys claimed that guards in the courtroom manhandled two ladies. After the incident Donald Zuidmulder, council for the state, made a motion to the court that the courtroom be cleared of spectators. After considering the motion the judge did issue the order that the courtroom be cleared of all spectators. The news media was permitted to stay. After the judge issued the order to clear the courtroom the five defendents walked out of the courtroom and barricaded themselves in the jury room. They used a large desk to block the door of the jury room. Zuidmulder also said that the courts have bent over backwards several times in an attempt to keep order in the court yesterday, but to no avail. As of 10:45 this morning the hearing was not proceeding as scheduled and the defendents were still barricaded in the jury room. Defendents in the case include Michael E. Sturdevant, 30, of Neopit; John J. Waubanascum Jr. 26 of Green Bay; John D. Perote, 28, of Neopit; Robert C. Chevalier, 20, of Neopit; and Doreen Dixon, 18, of Neopit. They were charged with armed robbery, burglary and falso imprisonment. On the stand yesterday was Joseph Plonka the caretaker of the Alexian Brothers Novitiate which was taken over on January 1, 1975 and was evacuated 34 days later. During the afternoon hearing Judge Fowle told the defendents and the spectators that the court room would be cleared if there was continued noise and talking while testimony was being given. Prior to the testimony, the court denied several motions to dismiss the action against the defendents. There was also a request for release of the defendants under a reduced bond. Plonka said there was a knock on the door about 12:15 a.m. on January 1, 1975 at the caretaker's cottage on the novitiate property. The caretaker was being questioned by Donald R. Zuidmulder, special prosecutor for the state. After hearing the knock on the door, Plonka said he picked up a pistol and put it in his back pocket. The caretaker also noted that the property is posted with no-trespassing signs. Plonka identified the man at the door as John Waubanascum who stood in the doorway with a rifle estimated to be a 30.06. He stated that he held up his hands and went back like he was told to do by Waubanascum. Plonka repeated several times that he was told to get back into the hallway and there were then two people facing him. He noted that the other was John Perote, and said Perote had a pistol in his hand which was directed at him - Plonka. He testified his pistol was also taken from his back pocket. The caretaker said a shot was fired by Waubanascum which went over his head as he - Plonka - bent over. Plonka indicated the family was held in the kitchen at gunpoint. Plonka reported Waubanascum as saying that he should have shot him, meaning Plonka. A short time later Plonka said Sturdevant came in the room telling Plonka that if he would cooperate he would not get hurt, and he would be detained until negotiations were made. Plonka also testified that Chevalier also entered the kitchen later and held a rifle on the group. Plonka also stated that Perote said he would take great pleasure in shooting them. The caretaker told the court that he made several phone calls to the Alexian Brothers in attempting to reach them to explain the situation, making the first call at the request of Sturdevant. The caretaker said they were permitted to leave the cottage about 2:30 on January 1, 1975. He indicated that the cottage was disarranged when he left that morning, also noting that $100 was missing along with some guns and food. Under cross-examination, Plonka said there were between eight to ten Indian people in the cottage about 1:30 that morning, indicating two or three were women. He said he did not have a drink that night, but three of this bottles of liquor were poured down the drain by the Indians. Plonka said he did not ask any one of the Indians to let them go, because he didn't feel it was proper with guns pushed in his face. Plonka also said that Sturdevant never did have a gun and never did point a gun at him. The cartaker also said he never did actually see anybody take his guns, but they were missing when they left the cottage at 2:30 a.m. on January 1. He said he saw Chevalier and Waubanascum take guns, but he never saw them take them from the cottage.

Copyright to this resource is held by the Shawano Leader and is provided here for educational purposes only. Commercial use of distribution is not permitted without prior permission of the copyright holder. Please contac the Shawano Leader, rchristensen@shawanoleader.com, for permission to use the digital image or content.

Hearing Opens for Five Held in Abbey Takeover Preliminary hearing started Thursday for five persons charged in connection with the Menominee Warrior Society takeover of the Alexian Brothers Novitiate near Gresham. Only one person testified yesterday at the day-long hearing in Shawano County Court, Branch No. 2 before Judge Fredrick H. Fowle, County Judge of Florence and Forest County. The hearing resumed at 9 o'clock this morning but was delayed after the defense attorneys claimed that guards in the courtroom manhandled two ladies. After the incident Donald Zuidmulder, council for the state, made a motion to the court that the courtroom be cleared of spectators. After considering the motion the judge did issue the order that the courtroom be cleared of all spectators. The news media was permitted to stay. After the judge issued the order to clear the courtroom the five defendents walked out of the courtroom and barricaded themselves in the jury room. They used a large desk to block the door of the jury room. Zuidmulder also said that the courts have bent over backwards several times in an attempt to keep order in the court yesterday, but to no avail. As of 10:45 this morning the hearing was not proceeding as scheduled and the defendents were still barricaded in the jury room. Defendents in the case include Michael E. Sturdevant, 30, of Neopit; John J. Waubanascum Jr. 26 of Green Bay; John D. Perote, 28, of Neopit; Robert C. Chevalier, 20, of Neopit; and Doreen Dixon, 18, of Neopit. They were charged with armed robbery, burglary and falso imprisonment. On the stand yesterday was Joseph Plonka the caretaker of the Alexian Brothers Novitiate which was taken over on January 1, 1975 and was evacuated 34 days later. During the afternoon hearing Judge Fowle told the defendents and the spectators that the court room would be cleared if there was continued noise and talking while testimony was being given. Prior to the testimony, the court denied several motions to dismiss the action against the defendents. There was also a request for release of the defendants under a reduced bond. Plonka said there was a knock on the door about 12:15 a.m. on January 1, 1975 at the caretaker's cottage on the novitiate property. The caretaker was being questioned by Donald R. Zuidmulder, special prosecutor for the state. After hearing the knock on the door, Plonka said he picked up a pistol and put it in his back pocket. The caretaker also noted that the property is posted with no-trespassing signs. Plonka identified the man at the door as John Waubanascum who stood in the doorway with a rifle estimated to be a 30.06. He stated that he held up his hands and went back like he was told to do by Waubanascum. Plonka repeated several times that he was told to get back into the hallway and there were then two people facing him. He noted that the other was John Perote, and said Perote had a pistol in his hand which was directed at him - Plonka. He testified his pistol was also taken from his back pocket. The caretaker said a shot was fired by Waubanascum which went over his head as he - Plonka - bent over. Plonka indicated the family was held in the kitchen at gunpoint. Plonka reported Waubanascum as saying that he should have shot him, meaning Plonka. A short time later Plonka said Sturdevant came in the room telling Plonka that if he would cooperate he would not get hurt, and he would be detained until negotiations were made. Plonka also testified that Chevalier also entered the kitchen later and held a rifle on the group. Plonka also stated that Perote said he would take great pleasure in shooting them. The caretaker told the court that he made several phone calls to the Alexian Brothers in attempting to reach them to explain the situation, making the first call at the request of Sturdevant. The caretaker said they were permitted to leave the cottage about 2:30 on January 1, 1975. He indicated that the cottage was disarranged when he left that morning, also noting that $100 was missing along with some guns and food. Under cross-examination, Plonka said there were between eight to ten Indian people in the cottage about 1:30 that morning, indicating two or three were women. He said he did not have a drink that night, but three of this bottles of liquor were poured down the drain by the Indians. Plonka said he did not ask any one of the Indians to let them go, because he didn't feel it was proper with guns pushed in his face. Plonka also said that Sturdevant never did have a gun and never did point a gun at him. The cartaker also said he never did actually see anybody take his guns, but they were missing when they left the cottage at 2:30 a.m. on January 1. He said he saw Chevalier and Waubanascum take guns, but he never saw them take them from the cottage.

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The Shawano Leader

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Copyright to this resource is held by the Shawano Leader and is provided here for educational purposes only. Commercial use or distribution of the image or content is not permitted without prior permission of the copyright holder. Please contact the Shawano Leader, rchristensen@shawanoleader.com, for permission to use the digital image or content.